Radio apparatus



26 4 v 24 (I8 C 1 April 1952 v c. SHEAFFER 2,591,732.

RADIO APPARATUS Filed March 5, 1.945 U 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIG. 1.

|o OSCILLATOR 25 KC I FROM MODULATION SOURCE (30 I2 l 28 PHASE DOUBLER AUDIO ADJUSTER 5O KC AMPLIFIER SQUARER PHASE PHASE 25 KC MODULATOR MODULATOR SQUARER SQUARER OVERBIASED OVERBIASED TRANSM'TTER MIXER MIXER FILTER 4 AMPLIFIER DEMODULATOR INVENTOR. CHARLES SHEAFFER BY I ATTORNEY April 8, 1952 c. SHEAFFER 2,591,732

' RADIO APPARATUS Filed March 5, 1945 v s Sheets-Sheet a FIG. 2.

A A A OUTP UT OF IO B A A H II l2 l4 AND l4 c l6, AND 16 D II II E I II II F u u 32 G n n H II II a K i 20 UNMODULATED L H II I V MODULATED M u 'u 26 INVENTOR.

Q A a,

ATTORNEY April 1952 I c. SHEAFFER 2,591,732

RADIO APPARATUS Filed March 5, 1945 s Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 3.

- B c JKEL f I RECENER VIDEO- AMPUFER FAST CLIPPER AND AVC LIMITER I w a a 25 KC 50 KC HLTER HLTER BAND PASS SHARP DEMODULATOR F,

I I I i l I I I I I I l l l I LIMITER I I l I l l I I l I l FREQUENCY HALVER I I l 1 I l L I I G AuDm AMPUFER HVVENTUR I CHARLES SHEAFFER 3 E BY REPRO UC R' ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as

amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. Grr 757) tems.

An object of this invention is to provide a system of transmission and reception in which the character of the transmitted wave is adaptable for use with high frequency type magnetron oscillators as sources of radio ener y, altho not restricted to such use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a transmitted wave in which the total energy content is not a function of the modulatingpotential.

Another object of this invention is to provide a system of transmission and reception which offers advantages in the elimination of unwanted noise signals.

In accordance with my inventionI provide a,

transmitting system which transmits alternating sequences of pulses, at a rate above audibility, each alternate sequence of which is under control of a phase modulating system which causes the phase, or time position, of one alternate sequence to be displaced in the opposite direction from the other under influence of the applied modulating signal. I also provide a receiving system which amplifies and detects the transmitted signal and which contains means for discriminating the harmonic content of the transmitted wave envelope and utilizes the resultant derived harmonics for interpreting the intelligence contained therein.

Further details of my invention, together with other and further objects thereof will be apparent from the following specification and drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of my invention, and in which:

Figure 1 is a block diagram of the transmitter portion of the invention;

Figure 2 is a series of wave diagrams illustrating the operation of Fig. 1; and

Figure 3 is a block diagram of the receiver portion of the invention. 7

Referring now to Fig. 1, an oscillator l generates a sine wave subcarrier frequency which is substantially higher than the highest modulation signal frequency which will be used. Thus, in the present example wherethe full audio-frequency range is to be used, the frequency of oscillator Ill may be 25 kilocycles. This frequency is changed to 50 kc. by a frequency doubler l2, the output of which is applied in parallel to two like channels including, respectively, phase modulators l4 and I4, wave squarers l6 and I6, and

overbiased mixers l8 and 18', the latter being normally biased considerably below cutoff so that there is normally no signal output therefrom. The 25 kc. wave from oscillator Ill is also applied, through a phase adjuster 3D, to a squaring circuit 32 having a push-pull output, oneph-ase of said output being applied to mixer l8, and the opposite phase of said output being applied to mixer IS.

The currents from mixers l8 and iii are combined and applied to the input circuit of an amplifier 20, and then, preferably through a filter 22, to an ultra-high or super-high frequency transmitter 24, the output of which is radiated by an antenna 26.

Phase modulators l4 and M are adapted to be controlled in opposite sense by means of the pushpull output of an audio amplifier 28 to which the modulation signal is applied. Hence, a given modulation potential will operate to advance the phase of the sine-wave output of one of the modulators a given amount, and to retard the phase of the output of the other modulator a like amount.

The operation of the system as thus far described will now be explained with reference to Fig. 2, which shows the wave forms of the potentials at various points of the system, as well as their relative phase relation. Assuming that no modulation signal is, applied to .the phase modulators, wave'A represents the 25 kc. output of subcarrier oscillator l0, and wave B the 50 kc. output of doubler l2, as well as the outputs of phase modulators l4 and I4, both of which have the same phase relation when no modulation signal is applied. Wave C shows the squared 50 kc. outputs of squarers l6 and it which are applied to the overbiased mixers l8 and I8,

Wave D is the same as wave A, its phase being slightly shifted with respect to wave A by the phase adjuster 30. This wave is squared by squarer 32 having a push-pull output circuit which yields two square waves out of phase with each other, as shown at E and F.

Waves C and E combine in the input of mixer l8 to form a wave such as shown at G. Waves C and F combine at the input of mixer iii to form a wave such as shown at H. Since mixers l8 and I8 are negatively biased to such extent that they only pass potentials which are above the dotted lines in curves G and H, only the portions X and Y, which are above said dotted lines, will appear in the outputs of said mixers. Thus, the output of each mixer contains a group of pulses having a repetition rate equal to the frequency of oscillator Ill, the pulses of one group alternating with the pulses of the other group. Said outputs are now combined and amplified by amplifier 2a which yields a resultant wave K wherein waves X and alternate with each other, preferably at equal intervals.

It will be seen that the intervals between the components X and Y of wave K are equal when no modulation signal is applied. When a given modulating potential of one polarity is applied to audio amplifier 28, the push-pull output thereof will cause phase modulator l4 to retard the phase of the 50 kc. sine wave applied thereto, and cause phase modulator [4 to advance said phase an equal amount. This will result in a wave such as shown at L, wherein pulses X of each pair will be retarded and pulses Y will be advanced an equal amount. When a modulating signal oi opposite polarity is impressed upon the phase modulators, the pulses in each pair will move toward each other, as shown at M. e

Thus, it will beseen that a. subcarrier is generated which consistsof successive pairs of phasedisplaced pulses of likev duration and havin a repetition rate higher than the highest frequency of, the modulatingsignal. The phase relation of the two pulsesof eaelrpair is fixed when no modulaltingsignalis applied. A modulating signal operates to change. the relative phase relation of said: two pulses v symmetrically about the mean value, the extent of'said change depending upon the magnitudeof the modulating signal, and the direction of said; change depending upon the polarity of said modulating signal.

The output of amplifier may be passed through a filter 2 2 to suppress those higher harmonics of the waves produced by the squarers, which are not necessarily needed for the transmissionof the intelligence. The resultant pulses are nowi m-pressed. upon the modulating circuit 7 of a normally blocked radio transmitter 24 which is forced into oscillation by each pulse to generate successive wave trains each having the duration of said pulses These wave trains are then radiatedthrough a suitable antenna 26. v

Phase moauiaters I 4 and 14 can be of any well known type, preferably one that can shift the phase as much as 90. Examples of suitable types are shown. in. Brown Patent No. 2,347,458 and Bieracci. Patent. No. 2,301,907. However, modulators which can; 'sliiftthe phase to such great extent are likely toIbe non-linear. Another type nonlinearity that may be caused in the phase modulators is due tothe fact that any change in phase is accompanied by. a change in frequency which causes the widthof the resultant pulses to vary as a function of the rate at which the phase is changing. The latterefiect is most pronounced in the high frequency portion of the modulation spectrum where the normal degree of phase change transmitted is relatively small.

Degenerative action is used to correct both types of distortion. For this purpose, the output of amplifier 20 is applied to a'demodulator circuit F to reconvert the phase modulated pulse output to the original modulation signal which is, in turn, applied in degenerative phase to the audio amplifier 28, in a manner well known in the art. This degenerative 'component will act to reduce the distortion components above discussed. Demodulator F operates exactly as does the demodulator F used in the receiver system hereinafter described in connection with Fig. 3. Thereceiver system comprises an antemia A which feeds into a conventional receiver B, preferably of the superheterodyne type. The usual second detector of thereceiver will reconvert the received pulse-modulated waveftrains to pulses substantially such'as shown by waves K, L, and

M in Fig. 2. These will, in turn, be amplified by video amplifier C and applied to a combination clipper-limiter circuit D. This limiter is an amplifier tube circuit with the grid biased somewhat =below cutoff so that only signals above a predetermined potential will cause a flow of plate current. A relatively low plate voltage is used so that the tube will saturate quickly and provide an output of substantially uniform amplitude.

The output of circuit D is applied to a demodulator circuit F, shown in the dotted enclosure, which reconverts the modulated pulse output to the original audio frequency modulation signal, which is, in turn, amplified by audio amplifier G and applied to a reproducer or other type of translating means.

Demodulator F comprises two channels fed in parallel by the pulse output of limiter l3. One channel includes a sharply-tuned 50 kc. filter 62 which passes only the 50 kc. componentof the received pulses. Because of the relatively high Q of filter 62, its output is a 50 kc. sine wave of substantially constant phase. -I-ts amplitude, however, is maximum when the pulses are unmodulated, as at K in Fig. 2, and decreases when said pulses are modulated as at'L andM-in Fig. 2, the amount of decrease depending up'on the extent of modulation. To remove said amplitude variations the sine wave output of filter 62 is passed through a limiter 64 and then through a frequency halver 65 which yields a 25 kc. wave. The output circuit of frequency divider 66 is a sharply-tuned resonant 25 kc. circuit, so that its output is now a 25 kc. sine wave which is substantially constant in phase and amplitude.

The second channel of demodulator F is a band-pass filter which passes the first subharmonic component of the received. modulated pulses, which is 25 kc., as well as the side-bands produced by the phase modulations of said'pulses. Since the repetition rate of said pulses is 50 kc., the 25 kc. component is zero when no modulation is present and when said pulses are equally spaced, as at K in Fig. 2. Hence, the output of filter 68 normally is zero. However, when said pulses are phase modulated,- as at L and M in Fig. 2, the received 50 kc. pulsescontaina 25'kc.subharmonic which varies in amplitude with theainpli tude of the modulation signal, and which changes in phase with a change inpo larity of said modulation signal. This varying 25 kc. sine wave component appears intheoutput of filter 68.

Thus two 25 kc. components are derived from circuits 6S and 68, the one from divider "GB-being a sine Wave of constant amplitude and-phase which corresponds to the carrier component of an amplitude modulated signal, andtheone from filter 68 being a sine wave which variesin amplitude with variation in amplitude of the modulated signal and shiftslBO in'phase with change in polarity of the modulated signal, and therefore corresponds to the side-band component of such modulated signal.

The two components'ar now mixedinaconventional, balanced-mixer l0 includingltwo'rectifiers l2 and 14. The carrier component derived from circuit 66 is applied in like phase to both rectifiers, while the side-band-component of filter 68 is applied in opposite phase, i. e., in push-pull to said rectifiers. The resultant signal across the series-connected load resistorsof the mixer is therefore the same as the original audio frequency modulation signal'applied-to the modulation circuit of the transmitter.

A portion of the outputs of video amplifier 0 is also applied to an AVC circuit E the output of which controls the amplification of one or more stages of the receiver, preferably the intermediate frequency stages thereof. AVC circuit E has a relatively small time constant load circuit so that it functions as a high speed filter which can respond to rapid amplitude changes of the order of about 10,000 cycles per second. Thus the AVG circuit is fast enough to follow amplitude changes due to noise currents, but will not respond to pulses which have an order of duration which is considerably smaller than the time constant of the AVG circuit, which is the case with the desired signal pulses. This circuit will, therefore, have a highly degenerative action for noise signals without affecting the desired pulses. thus enabling the receiver to provide pulses of the proper amplitude to operate limiter circuit D.

There has been described a novel radio system in which a subcarrier of successive pairs of pulses is generated. Said pulses have constant repeti tion rate and duration, and are normally fixed in phase. A modulation signal serves to phase displace the pulses in each pair toward or away from each other, the amount of said displacement depending on the magnitude of the modulating signal and the direction of said displacement depending upon the polarity of said modulation signal. The resultant phase.modulated pulses control a normally blocked radio transmitter which transmits pulse-modulated wave trains. These wave trains are received and reconverted to the modulated pulses, which are in turn demodulated to convert them into the original modulating wave. A fast acting AVC circuit is also incorporated into the receiver system to reduce the response to noise signals.

While ther has been described -what is at present considered a preferred embodiment of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention, and it is aimed in the appended claims to cover all such changes and modifications as i fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A phase-modulated pulse generating system comprising means for generating a modulating signal, means to generate two groups of discrete pulses, each group having a repetition frequency which is substantially higher' than the highest frequency of said signal and the pulses of one group alternating at equal intervals with pulses of the other group, means controlled by said modulating signal to shift the phase of the respective groups in opposite directions and equal extents, the extent of said phase shift being proportional to the magnitude of the modulatin signal and the respective directions of said phase shift being dependent upon the polarity of said modulating signal, and means to impress said pulses upon a common circuit thereby to combine said pulse groups to form a resultant pulse wave having twice said repetition frequency.

2. A phase-modulated pulse generating system comprising means for generating a modulating signal, means to generate two groups of discrete pulses, each group having a repetition frequency which is substantially higher than th highest frequency of said signal and the pulses of one group alternating at equal intervals with pulses of the other group, modulating means controlled by said modulating signal to shift the phase of the third sequence.

the respective groups in opposite directions and equal extents, the extent of said phase shift being proportional to the magnitude of the modulating signal and the respective directions of said phase shift being dependent upon the polarity of said modulating signal, means to impress said pulses upon a common circuit thereby to combine said pulse groups to form a resultant pulse wave having twice said repetition frequency, and means for reducing undesired variations in the width of said pulses, said last means comprising a demodulator for deriving the modulating signal from said resultant pulse wave, said demodulator having its input connected to said common circuit, and means for impressing the output of said demodulator on said modulating means.

3. The apparatus defined in claim 2 wherein said demodulator comprises a pair of filters fed in parallel by said resultant pulse wave, one filter being turned to the repetition frequency of said resultant pulse wave, the other filter being broadly tuned to the first subharmonic of the repetition frequency of the said resultant pulse wave, means to limit the amplitude and halve the frequency of the output of said one filter, and a balanced mixer for combining the outputs of said last-named means and said other filter.

4. A transmitter for transmitting phase modulated pulses as envelope modulation comprising means for generating two separate sine wave voltages of the same frequency, means for phase modulating said sine wave voltages in opposite directions with respect to*each other in response to signal voltages, said means comprising a pair of signal controlled phase modulators for respectively modulating said sine wave voltages and means for applying a signal in opposite phase to said modulators, means for deriving from one of said phase modulated voltages a first sequence of similarly modulated pulses-means for deriving from the other of said phase modulated voltages a second sequence of similarly modulated pulses separated in time from the pulses of the first sequence, whereby the timing of the pulses of the first and second sequence approach each other in one direction or the other in response to signal voltages, and means for impressing said first and second sequence pulses upon a common circuitfor deriving a third sequence of pulses.

5. The apparatus defined in claim 4 including a demodulator for deriving signal voltages from the third sequence of pulses having its input connected to said common circuit and its output connected to said means for phase modulating the said sine wave voltage, to thereby reduce undesired modulations of the width of the pulses of CHARLES SHEAFFER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

